What a Believer Can Believe About God
Romans 8:28
June 29, 2014 AM
Pastor Craig
Ledbetter
Bible Baptist
Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland
I.
Introduction (Romans 8:28)
A.
As a believer, God made you
and I NO PROMISES of a life without: troubles, heartaches, disappointments,
hardships, Let-downs, Storms, Or even disasters
1.
As a matter of fact, all those
things are actually promised to God’s people – we are NOT immune to any of those
things, but will probably have them in bucket-loads
2.
Don’t believe the LIE that God
does not intend for troubles in our lives. No!
B.
But instead, believe that the
Lord promises to make up for all of them – ALL of them!
C.
That’s why He wrote Romans
8:28. Just listen to it!
1.
“And we know” – most people don’t know this Scripture. But a
Christian should know this verse; should love this verse!
2.
“that all things” – absolutely everything in your life
3.
“work together for good” – Wow! What a promise! Every-thing, no
matter how bad in our lives, will actually come out for good in the end!
4.
“to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his
purpose.”
D.
But, How can God accomplish
Romans 8:28 in the life of a believer?
1.
He just does! That’s who He
is! The Promise Keeper!
2.
There just is NOTHING too hard
for Him!
3.
Isaiah 55:11 – one of THE
greatest promises ever given by God, that promises that He will KEEP His
promises! AMEN!
E.
Why haven’t MORE people
experienced Romans 8:28? This promise was made, and written down, and is
available to anyone in this room this morning! Then Why isn’t it being enjoyed
by more? Why aren’t Christians the most encouraged people in the world?
1.
Amazingly, because they don’t
KNOW it! They have never read it, or haven’t read it in a very long time!
2.
And even more amazingly,
because they don’t believe it!
3.
You see, the promises of God
are enjoyed only by faith! Most are not automatic!
a.
Almost every promise in the
Bible is conditioned on a person believing God is a rewarder of those who
diligently seeks HIM!
b.
So many just expect God to be
blessing them, taking good care of them, when they aren’t walking with Him, and
not trusting and obeying Him!
4.
Focusing on myself helps
nothing. I fail. I let people down. I have no idea what to do so many times.
5.
That’s why I need to focus on
Someone who never fails; who never lets anyone down; who always knows just what
to do!
F.
That’s why the Bible says that
you and I need to constantly consider, think about, ponder, and have a good
understand of “HIM” (Hebrews 12:3)! That’s JESUS! Consider ALL the things HE has
promised us, and that He is committed to doing in our lives!
G.
This morning, I just want to
encourage you to trust Him again, and get back to considering HIM! It will so
encourage you. And some of you, it will save your soul!
II.
Message – Some Great Things You Can Count on God to Give You,
if ONLY You Will Believe! (just listen to the promises of God)!
A.
Perfect Peace - You Can Count on God For Perfect Peace
(Isaiah 26:3)
1.
People want God to give them
more money, and a better way of life
2.
God promises to KEEP a person
in PERFECT peace! Perfect peace – think about it!
a.
I don’t know if YOU need this,
but I know “I” do!
b.
It is what every YOGA master
strives for
c.
It is what every drug addict
yearns for
d.
It is what every mother with
young children dream about
3.
A believer, any born again
believer, CAN trust God for such peace! It is available
a.
Undisturbable peace
b.
It is Peace, UPON Peace –
THICK peace - layers of peace
c.
Perfect peace is NOT the
absence of problems
d.
But the absence of panic, and
fear IN the problem
4.
Wouldn’t you like that? Jesus
gives it – freely – abundantly (Matthew 11:28-30)
5.
How?
a.
Not by seeking perfect peace
itself… that is the wrong thing to want
b.
But by seeking Christ! Having
your mind “stayed” (anchored) on Him!
1)
What does YOUR mind think
about? Focus on? Probably a lot of wrong things
2)
Instead, have a constant
walk with Jesus – so foreign today
3)
Seek to walk with a Perfect
Lord and Saviour through each day – a perfect Friend, and perfect peace will
flow over you like a river (Isaiah 48:18)
4)
Walk with Him through every
trial, through every valley, trusting Him to get you through! Talk with Him.
Listen to Him. Trust in Him!
5)
And he WILL give you perfect
peace!
6)
Psalm 23:4 was written NOT for
dead people at a gravesite, but for the living, who need perfect peace in the
valley of the shadow of death!
6.
This morning, I encourage you
to know that God has
perfect peace for absolutely
everyone who will seek to follow Jesus Christ – the PRINCE of Peace!
B.
Wisdom and Guidance - You Can Count on God For Wisdom and
Guidance (Proverbs 3:5,6; Psalm 32:8)
1.
Have you ever just felt lost?
Didn’t know what to do about something important? Probably pretty regularly,
huh?
a.
We are told in James 1:5 that
if any of us need wisdom, if any of us need help knowing what to do, then God
WILL give it to us liberally, abundantly!
b.
In other words, You can count
on Him to always know what to do, and to show you the next step for you to take
2.
Yet, How many of you have
memorised Proverbs 3:5,6 and yet never
availed of the perfect guidance from heaven that God offers His people?
3.
Look at God’s commitment to
us…
a.
“He SHALL direct thy paths”
b.
“I will instruct thee… I will guide thee”
4.
So, What’s required to enjoy
God’s perfect guidance and direction in their life? Wisdom and Guidance only
comes guaranteed to those who:
a.
Trust God with all their
heart. Simply Trusting in the Lord – believe that He knows best
b.
And ignore their own feelings
and understanding!
c.
God is NOT asking you to trust
in yourself, or in the path He is leading you onto, but to trust in the LORD who
knows the path (Job 23:8-10)!!!
5.
Will you decide this morning
to faithfully trust HIM to always know what to do, and to show you the next step
for you to take, even if don’t like what He shows you?
C.
Growth and Maturity - You Can Count on God For Growth and
Maturity (Psalm 138:8; Romans 8:29)
1.
He is committed to working ON
you, fixing you, maturing you – thank God!
a.
Whether you like it or not, He
is working on you
b.
Only YOU determine how long He
has to take to finish what He is doing!
c.
In other words, your Growth
and Maturity WILL HAPPEN if you just quit fighting His work on you!
2.
My life verse in Scripture is
Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this
very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until
the day of Jesus Christ”
a.
He will complete what he has
begun.
b.
He will not begin to help me,
and then abandon me.
c.
He will not promise to save
me, and then fail to.
d.
He will not start to encourage
me, and then cast me off.
e.
He will not save a soul, and
then leave it to perish.
f.
“Grace will complete what
grace begins.”
g.
I may not be confident of
much, but of THAT work, I am very confident!
3.
So, what can you trust, count
on?
a.
That God is moulding you,
growing you, maturing you, making you like His Son
b.
(Rom 8:29, “For
whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of
his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”)
4.
Are you making it EASY for Him
to work? Or hard?
D.
Strength and Protection - You Can Count on God For ALL the
Strength and Protection You Will Ever Need (1st Corinthians 10:13;
Isaiah 41:10; 43:2)
1.
I love these Scriptures!
2.
God WILL NOT SUFFER (allow)
you to be tempted ABOVE that ye are able!
a.
THANK GOD!
b.
You think you have been taken
too far (as have I), but that would make God a liar!
c.
You can count on our precious
Lord to protect you from being crushed!
d.
He will give you strength
against the temptations, the pressures!
e.
You can count on it!
3.
Are you under Demonic attack?
(Isaiah 41:10)
4.
Experiencing a Life disaster?
5.
God says, “Be not dismayed” (to have no more strength because perplexed)
a.
He promises… “I
will be with thee” “For
I am thy God”
b.
“I will strengthen thee”
c.
“Yea, I will help thee” – Supernatural Strength!
6.
Supernatural Strength and
Protection is available to any believer in this room, but only as you accept His
ways of escape instead of YOURS!
a.
You may escape into TV
watching for hours and days
b.
You may escape to the pub
c.
You may escape into fantasy
games, and fantasy novels
d.
You may escape by just getting
away from everybody
e.
But the Lord will always show
you THE right way of escape
7.
2Cor 12:10
“Therefore I take pleasure in
infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for
Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
E.
Supply - You Can Count on God to Supply for Every Need (Philp
4:19)
1.
In know people feel like God
is not taking very good care of them
2.
But God is committed to taking
good care of His children
a.
Not by giving them everything
they want
b.
Or giving them what they think
they need
c.
But what HE knows we need
(Matthew 6:28-30; 6:8)
1)
He takes care of the ravens,
the sparrows
2)
He clothes the lily’s
3)
He knows what you and I need,
before we even ask Him
3.
Sometimes, well, most often,
what we REALLY need is…
a.
We need to do without things,
instead of get more things
b.
We need to be humbled
c.
We need to learn to pray
instead of gloat
d.
We need to just serve and give
of ourselves instead of GET
e.
We need to do right, even when
it is a sacrifice
f.
We need to praise God for just
being God
4.
But in the midst of all that,
you can be sure that your heavenly Father will take good care of you! He is
committed to doing just that!
5.
So, next time you want to
gripe and complain… remember that God is taking care of you! Taking good care!
6.
All you have to do to is open
your eyes and start thanking Him for what He has done even just today! He is
doing a great job! And He will continue, if you just let Him!
F.
Christ’s Presence - You Can Count on God For His Presence
(Hebrews 13:5,6)
1.
Listen to His promise – His
commitment:
a.
“I will never leave thee”
b.
“I will never forsake thee”
2.
You see, when you got born
again, JESUS moved residence – right into your heart
3.
And He is not going anywhere!
a.
It may SEEM like He is not
around, but believe me – He is with you, and WILL be with you all the way home!
b.
Either Jesus means what He
says here, or he is a liar!
c.
I believe he meant it!
d.
I am never alone. Ever!
e.
And that gives ME courage to
trust the Lord to be my helper, so that I no longer have to fear anyone, or
anything!
4.
Aren’t any of you glad to be
Bible believers? What great, encouraging promises that God has given to each of
us!!!
G.
Christ’s Return - You Can Count on God For His Return (John
14:3) – He is Coming Back Again!
1.
Oh this is awesome! Jesus
says, “I will come again” –
what a promise!
2.
Thank God that He came!
a.
That the Messiah was born,
lived the only perfect life ever lived on this sin-cursed planet, and then was
crucified on a criminal’s cross, and then rose again 3 long days later,
victorious over sin AND death
b.
Praise God that Jesus came!
3.
But PRAISE GOD, that He is
COMING AGAIN!
a.
Oh how the world today thinks
they are getting RID of Jesus, and the Bible, and Christianity…
b.
Well, they have another thing
coming… HIM! HE is coming!
c.
And the NEXT time He comes, it
will be for US! “I will receive you unto myself” – the rapture!
d.
And then He will take care of
the god of this world, and the antichrist, and all the wicked world system that
has killed and tortured and ruined the lives of absolutely everyone who ever
lived!
4.
Jesus is coming again to make
everything right!
5.
All Jesus asks of us is to be
ready, Because He is coming when we think not!
6.
Are YOU ready?
H.
Forgiveness - You Can Count on God For His Forgiveness (Heb
8:12; 1st John 2:1,2)
1.
His encouraging promise…
a.
“I will be merciful to their unrighteousness”
b.
“and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.”
c.
You may not think that THAT is
very encouraging
d.
But for those of us who know
the seriousness of our sins, it is one of THE best promises that God ever made!
1)
That Jesus IS the
propitiation, the full and complete payment for every sin every committed!
2)
Every wrong attitude, every
hurtful word, every sinful desire! Is has all been paid for, and forgiven, by
Jesus Christ!
2.
If anyone tells you that you
just need to be good…
3.
If anyone tells you that just
get baptised and you will be fine…
a.
They are lying – there is NONE
good, no not one - Baptism cannot save anyone!
b.
Only what JESUS did can
forgive someone!
c.
And, Only by BELIEVING in what
Jesus did can you experience the forgiveness of the cross!
4.
Have you ever bowed your head,
and talked directly to God and like a child, admitted you are a sinner, lost and
without hope?
5.
Have you ever asked Him to
forgive you of absolutely every sin you have ever and will ever commit, simply
because He said you could?
6.
Jesus promises that He will
refuse NO ONE (John 6:37, “All that the
Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise
cast out.”)
III.
What YOU need to do to experience all of the above…
A.
Romans 8:28 was written “to
them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
B.
So, The Promise of Romans 8:28
starts in reverse…
1.
I know you desperately need
real peace, rock solid wisdom and guidance, supernatural strength and
protection, the supply for every need, a real church that tells the truth,
Christ’s presence, and His soon return
2.
But none of that will happen
to you unless you are born again and receive the forgiveness for all YOUR sins
that Jesus paid for by Himself!
3.
You have got to receive that
gift that He has provided to YOU!
C.
And once you do, you can THEN
start to live, believing all of these promises and more…
1.
For Perfect Peace as you
humbly walk with God
2.
For Rock Solid Wisdom and
Guidance as you willingly trust God with all your heart, and ignore your own
feelings and understanding!
3.
For supernatural Strength and
Protection as you accept His ways of escape instead of YOURS!
4.
For God’s Supply – that it
will always be there, right when you need it!
5.
For a Church that will teach
you as you to faithfully assemble with it!
6.
For His Presence when you
can’t see or sense Him!
7.
For His Return – Hey! He is
Coming Back Again whether we are ready or not! Start looking forward to it
Christian! It will pick you up every time!